<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Looks like we have a little mystery on our hands, or rather IN our hands by orphan_account</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25924930">Looks like we have a little mystery on our hands, or rather IN our hands</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gravity Falls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brotherly Love, Chibi Stan, Gen, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, Late birthday gift for Artsymeeshee!!, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Please Don't Kill Me, Post-Canon, Protective Ford Pines, Sea Grunkles, Stan O' War II, fluff and angst in later chapters, this isn’t and will never be Stancest</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:15:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,856</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25924930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is based on Artsymeeshee’s chibi Stan, I thought the idea was cute and I was waiting for a fic to be written but I decided that I wanted to write one as well!</p>
<p>So basically, Stan is smol and angy and Ford has to fix it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ford Pines &amp; Stan Pines</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A small surprised (creative I know)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Artsymeeshee">Artsymeeshee</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The warmth from the cabin was comforting. A soft aura was emitted by a dim candle, putting the room at a lull, it’s flickering almost matching the placating rhythm of the Stan ‘O War II as waves caused its strong frame to waver. It enveloped Ford with a sense of ease that was rare to him in the past 30 years.</p><p> </p><p>Despite his main concern and threat of Bill being neutralised months ago he still spent most of his time encased in mysteries he was ambitious to solve. Perhaps it was a distraction from years spent alone, a way to push forward and create new memories with Stanley.</p><p> </p><p>It was still a likeable experience to have time to unwind in silence, to re-evaluate his day and document his time with his brother with the knowledge that he was safely sleeping in the room down the hallway.</p><p> </p><p>He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall above his desk. 2:45 am. If Stan were aware that Ford was awake at such hour he would be having none of it.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Ford chuckled at the thought and finishing his musings he placed his pen down for the night. Having Stan’s sleeping and waking patterns memorised he knew he should be heading to their shared room soon.</p><p> </p><p>Ford routinely waited for the ink to dry before closing his journal, but when he heard light footfalls from down the hallway of the vessel he spun around. His mind instantly jumped to the thought of Stan having woken earlier than usual, coming to chastise him for his lack of sleep. However he dismissed it as the sound continued. The fact that it didn’t cause the usual places in the wooden hallway to creak from both of the twin’s footsteps made the hair on the back of his neck raise slightly.</p><p> </p><p>The Stan ‘O War II may be new but it had been damaged many times from cryptids and Stan’s conning victims alike. He extinguished his light source and drew his gun as he concealed himselfbetween his workspace and the only entrance into his study.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘Whatever it was it mustn’t be very large, possibly about the size of a gnome maybe smaller? I still shouldn’t underestimate its capabilities and-’</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Stanford’s analysing thoughts snagged when a small silhouetted figure peered hesitantly around the door frame. It was humanoid from what Ford could tell, four limbs, a single head, and for that he was thankful. He wasn’t in immediate danger and neither was Stanley for that matter, though it was unusual that the creatures’ escapade through the vessel had not awoken the light sleeper.</p><p> </p><p>His mind raced again with the new information of the being.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘It appears to have anatomy similar to that of a gnome, confirming my suspicions of a possible subspecies.’</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The tension from Ford’s shoulders was released and he put away his gun as he drew comparisons between the small intruder and the gnomes of gravity falls. Worst comes to worst he could just drop kick it away in a similar fashion and then capture it for his research on the anomalies local to the area.</p><p> </p><p>Stanford’s first step in catching it was retrieving a small cage from one of his shelves across the room. He hated to detain innocent cryptids but they seemed to flee as soon as they caught sight of him, ruling out any chance of possible communication.</p><p> </p><p>The short individual had since moved from the doorway towards Ford’s desk. It’s movements were skittish, as though it was expecting to be grabbed at any moment. Strange. This gave him even more of a reason to begin making his way to the cages, the sooner he was able to speak with the creature calmly the better it would be for both of them.</p><p> </p><p>He rose slightly from his hiding spot, keeping the intruder in his line of sight at all times. Due to the darkness in the room he was able to quickly maneuver his way towards to his destination without clueing the creature in on his position. 30 years in the multi-verse had taught him to traverse with almost complete silence.</p><p> </p><p>Ford stopped for a moment, if he was going to ambush the anomaly it would be better to get a closer look so he was conscious of any feasibly deadly physical features. A hidden poisonous spike, sharp claws, anything similar and unaccounted for could ruin his chances in its apprehension.</p><p> </p><p>As he was rethinking his next move the human like entity continued to pace around the room as though it was looking for something. It then began heading in Ford’s direction, giving him a better visual of it.</p><p> </p><p>Ford was unable to get a good view at its facial features - he was starting to regret blowing out his candle - but from what he could see from its shape it was extremely human like, more so than a gnome. While gnomes did resemble humans, their stubby limbs and large torsos gave them away instantly. While this particular creature bore a close resemblance to himself, Ford noticed it wasn’t quite the same. It was difficult for Ford to describe its characteristics from the limited sights he had but if he were to use one word ‘softer’ would be it.</p><p> </p><p>This new observation caused Ford’s intrigue to spike. As silently as he could with the close proximity he had to the tiny ‘soft’ human, he reversed walking backwards, eyes still fixed as to ensure its placement in the study.</p><p> </p><p>Ford was so caught up in his passion for the unknown and the excitement it brought that he misplaced his final step. A loud clang echoed through the Stan ‘O War II, as a few cages were sent tumbling to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>The being bolted.</p><p> </p><p>Ford instantly reached for the closest fallen cage and let out a string of different alien languages he had picked up over the course of his travels. Thank goodness the younger twins were not present, as his colourful vocabulary would not have been welcome.</p><p> </p><p>Dashing out the door he followed the mysterious intruder down the hall and into the sleeping quarters. Ford didn’t have time to consider the empty bottom bunk, or the lack of yelling from a sleepy eyed twin brother. All he was focused on was the anomaly evading his capture.</p><p> </p><p>Stumbling around the dark room he lost sight of it. To avoid further confusion he flicked on the light illuminating the room. The only hiding place he could think of in the direction he last saw it heading was underneath the dresser in the far corner of the room. Ford began a slow prowl towards said dresser. Once close enough he prepared himself for the creatures’ next move. His six fingers on his free hand flexing with anticipation.</p><p> </p><p>What he wasn’t expecting however, was a high pitched yell from above his head and the impact of what Ford could only assume to be the small human, crashing onto his ruffled hair. Reflexively his hands collected the tiny figure and quickly rushed it into the cage slamming the door closed.</p><p> </p><p>“Agh Ford!” It was undeniably Stanley’s voice that came next.</p><p> </p><p>“Stanley?” Ford froze and looked around the room for any indication of his twin, only to be met with empty space.</p><p> </p><p>“Down here genius! Now could you let me out?”</p><p> </p><p>Ford’s line of vision dropped and he was finally met with the sight of what he had been pursuing. Except it was not at all what he had been expecting. Inside the cage was his disheveled brother, lacking many feet of his regular height with the ‘soft’ appearance as previously observed. It was like he was- no he <em>was</em> a chibi version of himself.</p><p> </p><p>“What- Stanley! You? I thought-” He stumbled with his words disbelief plastered on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah yeah I don’t know, okay? Now could you open this door! I was hoping that I would never see the inside of a jail cell again.”</p><p> </p><p>“O-of course. Yes, my apologies.” Ford placed the cage on the floor and opened it reaching his hand in to gather up his tiny twin.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey! Paws off Poindexter I can handle walking forwards a few steps!” The anger in Stan’s voice was muted by its new high pitched quality. Ford couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at the scene before him. Having just tensely spent the last few minutes chasing what he thought to be an anomalous intruder, the juxtaposition of the truth was quite humours to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Mind telling me why the hell I’m this tiny Sixer?? And stop laughing!!” Stan stomped his foot while gesturing at himself and glared up at his brother. This specific combination of actions only caused Ford’s laughter to grow louder. After a few seconds more of his bark like laughter Ford finally managed to answer Stan’s question.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure Stanley but don’t worry we will fix this-”</p><p> </p><p>Ford considered his next words, weighing the consequences and decided to ignore the part of his brain that felt bad about the situation.</p><p> </p><p>“-Even if it takes a <em>little</em> while. Ah ow!” Despite the kick he received to his shin Ford regretted nothing. However he realised that he hadn’t a single reason for his twin’s current situation. This was going to be difficult.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I guess you could say that Stan is a bit down on his luck hehe. </p>
<p>This is a birthday gift for the pure hearted human that is artsymeeshee!!! I really admire her work in the fandom and it always makes me smile whenever I see it :DD it’s super wholesome and just 10/10.<br/>(I am so sorry this is late for your birthday! I didn’t know it was so soon!)</p>
<p>This au (is it an au? I think so??? I mean it’s set post-series so I have no clue) was created by her and I have been wanting to write something for a little while to actually contribute to a fandom for once and last night I realised it was her birthday so I pulled my hesitant butt into gear and here we are.</p>
<p>I think I’m gonna make this a multi-chapter fic (pfft get ready for a severally inconsistent upload schedule rip) because I had a lot of fun writing it. Not a lot happened this chapter but I have a few plans for the next that should get the ball rolling. Oh man I hope so anyway. If anyone has any suggestions for me I would love to hear them. I will have to apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes because I am a bit of a goof. That’s it I have no other excuse.</p>
<p>I love the idea of a tiny Stan and a protective Ford so I will probably pack it full of angst and fluff. <br/>Be prepared!</p>
<p>I should probably get tumblr if I want to be more involved in this fandom so I might put a link around somewhere if I get up to it!</p>
<p>Send me your constructive criticism! I want to get better at writing so please tell me things you think I can improve on :) Any tips, hints or tricks would be lovely to help me navigate through ao3 as this is my first time doing pretty much anything on here (or anywhere else for that matter) other than reading fics aha.</p>
<p>Anyway I hope that everyone is stayin’ safe and alive, sorry this note was suppeerrr long, have a great week!! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A little bit sick (yes these will probably all be puns)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Stan’s sea sick and Ford is struggling to find answers.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We finally start to get somewhere hurray!! I have a vague idea of where this is heading :D<br/>I’m happy that people are enjoying this so have the next instalment!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rather than the usual calm Stan was accustomed to when waking, the rapid swaying of the vessel caused his head to spin and his stomach began to churn before he even opened his eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He could hear a few distant bursts of thunder and the constant heavy rain battering the roof of the Stan ‘O War II.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A storm; that would do it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although, they had experienced many storms while the twins had been at sea and none of them had caused Stan any nausea, meaning it would have to be considerably large.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stan finally prepared himself for his usual morning body pains and cracked his eyes open. Everything around him appeared normal, however as he sat up with a small grunt he couldn’t say the same for the sight he was met with when he glanced down at himself reminding him of the night prior.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Great...”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He shuffled across to the edge of his now oversized bed, staying relatively low, attempting to ease the sea sickness that threatened to worsen at any movements his now tiny body deemed too fast.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Looking over the edge of the bed Stan could see how high a drop it was to the floor. He was grateful that Mabel had helped to get him over his fear of heights because other wise this would have been a nightmare to deal with.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There weren’t many ways for him to get down and start his day. After last night Ford had helped his brother to bed, much to Stan’s disapproval, and headed back to his study muttering about cleaning up a mess and searching for a cure for his current condition. So subtly slipping his need for assistance into a conversation was off the table unless Stanford were to walk into the room any time soon which was doubtful. Once his brother set his mind to something it was hard for him to become distracted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His first choice was to wait for however long it would take for Ford to come and take him to the kitchen, but after last night he wasn’t keen to accept his twin’s help. It was bad enough being shoved into a cage and with the slight mockery from Ford, he was set on preserving as much of his pride as he could and asking to be carried from room to room would do him no favours.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The other option would be to possibly lay a pillow below him and jump onto it, this choice might not bode well with his body but he was becoming impatient and he was itching a cup of coffee.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stan rose quickly which was a poor decision; his head reeled and he felt as though his world was leading to the side. He hastily lay back down and waited for it to subside taking deep breaths and listening to the irregular beating of rain to help push the feeling of bile back down his throat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the midst of his sea sickness Stan didn’t notice the sound of Ford making his way to their room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&lt;</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stanford entered the bedroom and approached the bunk beds that contained his twin, from the doorway he could see Stan was laying down so he presumed he was still asleep. As he got nearer to his intended location however he could see that this was not the case. Stan looked like he was on the verge of being sick.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stanley? Are you alright?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At Ford’s question Stan jolted forwards in surprise and into a defensive position. Stanford noticed the slight green tint to his brother’s face as he regained his composure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Geez Sixer! Mind telling me why you decided to sneak up on me like that? And what are you doing here?” He rubbed his eyes, “I thought you would be doing your nerd research for the rest of the morning.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ford ignored the jab Stan made at his studying; he was more concerned for his brothers wellbeing than correcting him for once. He was unsure how Stan’s body would react to being altered and had been on edge about how long he had stayed in bed for. Now that Ford could see his twin he was thankful that he had continued to keep a watchful eye.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Firstly, I didn’t intend to sneak up on you and I apologise for that. Secondly, I was coming to check up on you, as I have been doing all night. And thirdly,” He collected Stan’s shrunken glasses from the bedside table and handed them to their owner, “you didn’t answer my question Stanley. Are you alright?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ford could gauge the answer to the question already, this was the worst he had seen his brother since they set sail and he was clearly experiencing some form of sickness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>‘Whatever happened must have a side effect that’s attacking his immune system.’</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah yeah I’m fine, well as fine as I can be at, what? A foot or less tall?” Stan sighed while putting on his glasses and deflated a bit at his own comment, “It’s just my luck that we have the biggest storm yet when I’m stuck like this huh?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ford was hit with confusion at his comment. The biggest storm? what was Stan talking about? This weather was hardly distinct from any of the other downpours they had been caught up in. The disorientation from his twin’s comment left almost as quickly as it had had arrived.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>‘His size has changed his susceptibility to motion sickness.’</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The revelation dislodged some of the worry that had made its way into Ford’s stomach. He was relieved to know the origin of Stan’s present height didn’t relate to his current ill health. Despite this, the urge to aid his brother still remained.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stan seemed to notice Ford’s perplexed expression. “What? Did I say something wrong?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“N-no its just...” Ford tapped his hand to his chin absentmindedly deep in thought, “this storm isn’t the worst we've encountered.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stan seemed to understand immediately and groaned in response.</p>
<p>“Seriously? This is just great! first I can’t even get out of bed and now-”</p>
<p>he was cut off as Ford blankly reached down, lifted him up and went to place him inside his unzipped hooded jacket.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey! Poindexter what do you think you’re doing?!”</p>
<p>At his yelling Ford seemed to snap out of his daze to answer his question, however he continued his mission in wrapping his brother up. “You’re suffering from motion sickness, one of the best ways to eliminate it quickly is to lay down with as little movement as possible.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So what does that have to do with you shoving me into your jacket?” Stan struggled as he spoke. Ford promptly recognised his mistake and feeling apologetic let Stan rearrange himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I assumed you would be willing to accompany me to my study so we could discuss what we’ll do next and my jacket seemed comfortable and stagnant enough for you to rest in.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ford decided to leave out the part where he was scared for Stanley’s safety. Trying to get himself coffee at his size while unbalanced and queasy could only end terribly. It would be better for him to stay with Ford.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well just ask me next time okay Sixer?” Stan then shifted so he was facing the doorway and began to gesture dramatically. “Now to the kitchen!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ford looked down at him, rolled his eyes and made his way towards the kitchen.</p>
<p>“You <em>are</em> enjoying this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After they arrived in the kitchen Stan insisted on making his own coffee and late breakfast, but Ford refused and prepared it himself. After all, that was why he had offered to carry him in the first place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>During the process Stan would peer out of his place in Ford’s jacket giving instructions on how he preferred his breakfast cooked. Despite Stanford knowing how to cook for his brother, they had been on the Stan ‘O Wars for almost a year, he didn’t say anything about it and let Stan do something in favour of just sitting and being nauseous.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once Ford had poured two cups of coffee (one in a much smaller mug of course) and assembled Stan’s small plate he entered his study.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Setting Stan and his food down on his desk Ford sat and took a sip of his own coffee.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So did you find anyway to reverse this?” Stan asked pointing vaguely at himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ford was once again plagued with worry and anxiety. Last night he had searched through all of his books, his own journal entries on locations they had previously traveled, he mulled over anything and everything he had learnt in his past 30 years in the multi-verse and had almost nothing to show for it. The only hint at his brothers condition was that the evidence showed it being a curse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So that was all he was going to tell Stan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, it appears to be some type of curse. The delayed effects are similar to curses I came across in Gravity falls. Does The Hand Witch ring any bells?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh you bet it does, that old hag stole my hands just to get a date with me!” Stan wiggled his fingers to add to his statement causing Ford to chuckle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes well who or what cursed you we don’t know but I think our first course of action would be to retrace our steps; head back to places we visited within the past week or so.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His twin had finished his meal and was looking less sea sick than earlier but Ford was still not content. “May I pick you up again?”<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Stan nodded and Ford put him back into his jacket where he curled up, though, had Ford confronted him on this he would have denied it. Stanford then stacked the dishes and moved them off to the side of his workspace so he could continue to look over is notes.</p>
<p>After about 20 minutes he could hear soft snoring coming from his brother, he must still be exhausted from last night if even after his coffee he still managed to get back to sleep. Ford smiled softly and proceeded in his research and planning of the route they would need to take to discover more about this curse. If they didn’t find anything soon Stan would begin to question him about other options and Ford wasn’t sure how he would respond.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok so this was mostly just fluff but how could I write anything else?!<br/>I’m sooo glad people are liking this because lord knows I’m having a fun with it :)))</p>
<p>Like last chapter if anyone has any suggestions for me I would love to hear them. I will have to apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes because I am a bit of a goof. That’s it I have no other excuse. Send me your constructive criticism! I want to get better at writing so please tell me things you think I can improve on :)</p>
<p>I’m not sure when I will post the next chapter but I don’t think it will be too far off.</p>
<p>Stay safe everyone and have a great day, night or whatever time it is for you! :DD &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. In desperate need of a TALL cup o’ jo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ford sleeps and Stan makes some coffees but oops I didn’t order this with a hint of self hatred.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning Stan was awake before Ford. He must have stayed up late doing research and fallen asleep at his desk. Stan was still bundled up in the jacket; the only background sound being his brother’s faint snoring, distant crashing waves and the occasional sea gull.</p><p> </p><p>It was an irregular occurrence feeling Ford’s chest rising and falling against his whole body but it grounded him and gave him a sense of security. In an effort to avoid any sort of embarrassment when Ford inevitably awoke, Stan sat up and planned to get down. He was prepared for the disgusting sensation motion sickness brought but as usual Ford was right; Stan’s sea sickness had vanished while he was resting and he could finally think straight without his head flipping upside down.</p><p> </p><p>Slowly and quietly Stan unzipped his twin’s hoodie and made his way to the floor. After having little to no rest in the past night with all of his investigating (and possibly even before that) Ford was sleeping heavily and Stan was able to climb down his leg without receiving any response.</p><p> </p><p>Once on the floor Stan looked back up at Ford. For the first time since his height was diminished he actually thought about how it had already begun to change the dynamic between himself and his brother. Sure it made sense why Ford had wanted to make breakfast for him, even he knew doing it on his own was a bit of a stretch, but why did his twin insist on Stan being with him? He could have just as easily stayed in bed to rest. Without realising it Stan started pacing.</p><p> </p><p>It was confronting; for one of the first times in his life he was forced to rely on someone else, and that someone else just so happened to be extremely vigilant. One moment he was the twin who had lived on the streets running into all sorts of trouble, he spent thirty years focused on bringinghis counterpart back from who knows where and now he couldn’t even make breakfast for himself.</p><p> </p><p>He stopped. Stan’s day couldn’t even commence until Ford was awake. With this conclusion supposedly drawn he spared a final glance at his sleeping brother before starting towards the kitchen.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘You’ve just got to prove that you’re not completely useless and then he’ll relax. It’s fine you can do this... probably.’</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Arriving in the kitchen Stan went directly to the kettle; he doubted his ability to make any food but coffees for him and his brother would be a start. As he approached the counter however it’s scale became a problem. It towered high above him with no climbing path available. First things first he needed to drag a chair over for him to step onto, how hard could that be?</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>Apparently very. Even the chair was much larger than him and he struggled to push it anywhere without hurting his aged back.</p><p> </p><p>Okay. So maybe if he collected the mugs and organised them up until the hot water was needed his twin would be awake and would offer to get the kettle for him. At least then Ford wouldn’t see him struggling and would only witness his preparation of the mugs.</p><p> </p><p>He was appreciative that the draw containing them was low to the ground. Despite his opinion on the matter at his ordinary size, Stan was in luck that the only place they would fit was within his short reach.</p><p> </p><p>The mugs were awkward for Stan to carry, their handles added a weight from whatever angle they were held at and the option to carry them as they were designed was impossible, making him more lopsided than when he gripped from the sides.</p><p> </p><p>Stan decided the following step was to make his way out to the deck. It was always nice in the early mornings to embrace the open ocean, the rising sun caused a beautiful mirage of colour to be reflected onto the endless waves and it really put the twin’s accomplishments into perspective. After the fantastical developments they had been subjected to recently they truly deserved a chance to sit down and enjoy one another’s company. </p><p> </p><p>Placing the mugs at the door in two trips Stan allocated his thoughts to opening the front door of the cabin. Initially he tried jumping to grab at the door handle but he couldn’t get quite far enough to reach. He looked around the room for anything he could use to help and his eyes landed on some of Ford’s books. He was to old for this.</p><p> </p><p>After he lugged a few thick books back to the exit he stacked them up into steps so they were just high enough for him to unlock and open the door. At the sound of its click he let out a long sigh in relief. One segment of his brain was proud of himself and wanted to wake up Ford so he could get some help and sit down for a bit but it was quickly over ridden by another thought.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘If Ford wakes up now and sees that you could barely manage to get outside there is no way he is going to be calm about letting you do anything else. And how are things going to go back to normal then?’</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Stan cursed inwardly, just looking at himself he could see 10 different things Ford would be fussing over. He was out of breath, his back hurt from the failed attempts to move the chair and not to mention the mess of books he left in his wake.</p><p> </p><p>Stan shook his head, all he needed to do was get outside with the mugs and then it would be fine. Stanford would see him awake and ready for the day without a trace of sympathy on his face. Sympathy that’s what he didn’t need right now, he didn’t deserve it anyway, not after he had cost his brother-</p><p> </p><p>No. No. they had moved past this, Stan apologised and Ford forgave him... Then why did he feel so guilty?</p><p> </p><p>Stan continued his thoughts and inattentively picked up one of the cups to take over to the seats on the deck. The distance wasn’t too far and because the chairs were partly built into the Stan ‘O War II they was much easier to get onto. He set it down and went to retrieve the next one.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe he felt guilty because he was always riding on Ford’s coat tails as his Pa would put it, although this time it could possibly take on a more literal meaning. But Stan knew if anything his twin didn’t mind this time around. Did he?</p><p> </p><p>Stan picked up the next mug and set back off towards the seating area.</p><p> </p><p>Stanford hadn’t shown any signs of being engaged with Stan recently, maybe it was because he was looking for a cure, which Stan admitted he was thankful for, but what if he was so set on looking for a solution because he didn’t want to have to deal with Stan needing things from him? Perhaps it wasn’t sympathy that one of Ford’s brief glances had held, maybe it was his twin’s own disapproval and embarrassment regarding Stan.</p><p> </p><p>That would explain why Ford had wanted to take Stan with him to get breakfast, because he couldn’t even trust him to stay in bed without messing it up somehow.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘I guess I really haven’t changed that much have I?’</em>
</p><p> </p><p>At the thought Stan went limb with apprehension and his grasp loosened on the mug as his whole body trembled. He had only just made it up on top of the chair again when the grip his hands had on the mug finally gave way in favour of wrapping around himself. He hunched over full of the panic that his own mind had created, in time with his action a heavy stone was sent plummeting down his into gut freezing him in place.</p><p> </p><p>The sound of ceramic smashing onto the deck wasn’t what Stan’s attention was on at the moment so he didn’t bother moving.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope people are enjoying this as much as I am aha. The next chapter won’t be too far off, probably a similar time period as it took for this chapter.</p><p>Special thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarylStorey">Darylstorey</a> for the chapter title and helping me plan out this and the upcoming chapters. You sweetheart!!! You deserve more than just a random shop vender named after you :D</p><p>Like last chapter if anyone has any suggestions for me I would love to hear them. I will have to apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes because I am a bit of a goof. That’s it I have no other excuse. Send me your constructive criticism! I want to get better at writing so please tell me things you think I can improve on :)</p><p>As always stay safe while the world is smouldering and please avoid death! :DD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A minuscule miscommunication</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ford misses the obvious</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wooo next chapter is here aha<br/>Big thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarylStorey">DarylStorey</a> for helping me out with this chapter!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Stanford didn’t stir as his unconscious mind was brought into a state of fogged awareness. He felt complacent despite not yet being fully conscious, all he knew at this point in time was the previous knowledge he had before his body drifted into slumber.</p><p> </p><p>Stan was in his jacket, he was at his desk and he wasn’t going to risk movement at the chance he could wake his small twin. Stan needed any extra time he could get to let his body settle and for him to grasp the current limitations that were brought with it.</p><p> </p><p>Ford was certain Stan had experienced his fair share of oddities from his time in gravity falls even if he didn’t show it. His twin’s nonchalant attitude towards the weirdness in the town was for the most part directed towards Mabel and Dipper; not wanting them to be concerned about things he deemed unimportant.</p><p> </p><p>Stanford wondered if his brother would acquire the same composure as a front to his turmoil concerning his new state. Ford would have to watch out for that and keep a lookout for any behaviour that could be linked to a disempowered well-being.</p><p> </p><p>Archiving his last thought Ford began to allow himself to drift back into unconsciousness.. Until he heard a discordant burst of sound.</p><p> </p><p>His body sprang up into a standing position before he even fully discerned the disruption as athreat. In this bolt of surprise his hands had reflexively encompassed where he presumed Stan to be, only, as his mind fully registered he became aware of his brother’s disappearance.</p><p> </p><p>Ford had to find him, he just had to. His anxious mind began to weave together the worst possible scenarios, each involving cryptid’s of all sort’s that he had heard hushed whispers about from the locals the previous time the twins were ashore in the area and each and every one was putting his brother in peril.</p><p> </p><p>Taking off Ford rounded the corner and was met with books roughly dispersed around the kitchen area in a trail that lead to the open front door. Something must have come in and taken Stan while he was asleep.</p><p> </p><p>How could he not have noticed that? How could he let that happen? Why didn’t he stay awake? he knew about the dangers surrounding them and he let his guard down and now his brother was paying the price... again.</p><p> </p><p>He pushed down the guilt that was amplified by each pound of his heart and bursted onto the deck, gun in hand.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>However what was pictured before him was not quite what he had been expecting. His twin was huddled on the table with a shattered mug below him. Ford had never witness him in such a vulnerable position.</p><p> </p><p>He scanned the area looking for any lingering signs of what had caused Stan to be in such an environment. There was no water on the deck, nothing broken other than the cup, Stan didn’t look physically injured and he couldn’t see anything in the distance to clue him in on an attack.</p><p> </p><p>Ford glanced back at Stan and only now he could see that his brother was shuddering and sobbing emotions to himself. It clicked into place; Stan was having a panic attack.</p><p> </p><p>The prospect of Stan having a panic attack in itself was jarring, despite his prior thoughts on the matter. Of course it occurred to Ford that Stan would struggle to come to terms about his new form, that was the precise reason he was withholding his inability to find information, but he never expected to spectate anything more than a sad smile and a burdensome conversation.</p><p> </p><p>Ford deposited his weapon back into its holster and closed the distance between them, cautious that Stan may want space.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it wasn’t about his size and was for unrelated matters? However hopeful Ford was for this outcome it was unconvincing even to himself. Nothing else could possibly cause his twin to be having a breakdown like this.</p><p> </p><p>“Stan?” There was no response but as he sat down in-front of his brother he could hear his small uneven and rushes breaths. Ford thought back to when they were children and their roles were switched. His brother had always helped to steady his breathing before anything else so that’s what he would try first.</p><p> </p><p>“Stanley,” he placed his six fingered hand close to his twin, tentative to the fact that unwarned physical touch could worsen the situation, “its Ford. Can you breath with me?”</p><p> </p><p>Stanford began to take deep breaths at Stan’s weak nod and continued until he noticed Stan follow for a few cycles and begin to relax causing his small arms to drop down by his sides.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright, I’m here, we can figure this out.” He inched his large in comparison hand nearer to his twin, however at Stan’s flinch he stopped. “Is there anything I can do for you?”</p><p> </p><p>“You- I- I’m sorry.” Stan didn’t meet his eyes and Ford was confused at the sincerity in his brothers voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Stanley, there is nothing for you to apologise for, it’s not your fault, there is clearly something on your mind. You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong but if there is anything I can do to make you more comfortable...”</p><p> </p><p>“No. N-no thanks I’m fine Poindexter.” Stan stuttered our his answer, his tone lacked any confidence.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you certain? Please at least let me take you inside, it’s not safe out here, last time we were on this route the townsfolk appeared to be anxious about possible life threatening anomalies.”</p><p> </p><p>Stan’s dreary eyes widened. Was it the mention of the danger? Ford wasn’t sure.</p><p> </p><p>All he could currently think about was getting Stan inside secure and comfortable. To just get back to where he thought he was when he woke. Ford knew Stan would likely refuse to be sat still in his jumper for the rest of the morning. Nevertheless he went to undo the zipper for when he would place him inside.</p><p> </p><p>“Nah come on Sixer I can handle myself.” Stan waved his hand to discourage Ford and sported a smile. Staggering to his feet he took a few steps to try and emphasise his point.</p><p> </p><p>He almost instantly stumbled and with a small yelp he tumbled over the edge of the table.</p><p> </p><p>Luckily adrenaline was still in Ford’s system and he was able to shoot his arm out and catch him before he slammed onto the floor.</p><p> </p><p>Ford brought Stan up to his eye level and withheld a chuckle. “I think it will be for the best if I carry you.” He then tucked his brother into his jumper and zipped it up until just his face poked out from the top.</p><p> </p><p>Disregarding Stan’s tired grumble he turned and started to remove the broken mug from the deck.</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>When they entered the cabin Stan’s body language was clear in expressing his discomfort inside of Ford’s jacket. He kept squirming to make sure he didn’t lean up against him.</p><p> </p><p>Why? The older twin couldn’t say; perhaps he was still over-stimulated and Ford’s body heat was irritating? But it had been rather cold outside so if anything he would be clambering for some warmth.</p><p> </p><p>Thinking back to the setting he had walked out to, Ford was still not entirely certain what had happened. He assumed that Stan had been contending with some of the terms his stature entailed: the mug broken from a losing battle to lug it onto the table and now having re-evaluated the obvious book staircase up to the door handle it seemed to answer his question..</p><p> </p><p>But something didn’t sit right with this conclusion. If it had been as simple as a struggle with his size he could have asked Stanford for help, Stan knew that he would gladly lend a hand with anything he needed.</p><p> </p><p>Right?</p><p> </p><p>The conceivability of Stan’s distrust in how willing he would be to help sent a subtle shiver down his spine.</p><p> </p><p>Ford enter the kitchen, flicked on the kettle and dumped the broken pieces of the mug into the bin. He would make them coffees, they would talk about it and everything would be fine. Or he hoped so anyway.</p><p> </p><p>After finishing to make the awakening brew he took them over to the table. Silencing his thoughts of worry and against his better judgement he scooped up his brother and placed him down within proximity of the coffee Ford had made for him.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks Sixer.” Stan shot him a slight smile that dropped not a second later. Despite the regular comforting action something about it provoked Ford’s stomach to drop.</p><p> </p><p>Did he do something wrong? What if his brother didn’t think he wanted to help him and the smile was an indicator of an apology?</p><p> </p><p>He needed to do something to get Stan to believe he wanted to assist him in anyway he could.</p><p> </p><p>He quickly remembered someone thanking him required a response to show more sincerity.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome,” Ford softened his voice, “I don’t mind at all.”</p><p> </p><p>The twins sat in silence. Ford had to do more. He wanted- no that’s not right. He needed Stan to know he was willing to support him.</p><p> </p><p>Emptying the final dregs of his coffee Ford looked back down at his brother and noticed that his cup was barely touched.</p><p> </p><p>“Stan can I get you anything? If you didn’t want coffee I could have made something else for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Stan blinked rapidly and shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>“No I’m fine, you don’t have to do anything for me I’m just... not thirsty.“</p><p> </p><p>Stan stood up again but this time he was on steady feet. Nevertheless Ford put his hands out as a precaution.</p><p> </p><p>“Stanford.” It was almost a growl and it probably would have been at his normal size but to was followed by a weak sigh. “I can leave you to your studying if you want; I feel alright now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, sorry I- I had better get back to my office then.” Ford composed himself and exited the room, however he had no intention of leaving Stan by himself.</p><p> </p><p>He moved to the end of the hall and went to his study, he may not be staying but he neededsomething to occupy his time while he was watching over Stan.</p><p> </p><p>Once he collected his journal and pen he closed the door to give the illusion he had gone inside and then took a seat at the end of the hallway. He would just observe Stan from afar and if he looked like he needed help Ford would step in. Settling down he opened his notes and kept searching for a cure.</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>It had been half an hour since Stanford began studying and he had found nothing. How could there still be nothing? There had to be something, anything. He had been through the multiverse and studied in gravity falls for the majority of his life how had he never found or heard of anything similar to Stan’s problem! Maybe they should dock soon and ask around? As much as he disliked conversing with the locals there weren’t many options left.</p><p> </p><p>Glancing up from his work he searched for Stan, it had been awhile since he last checked in on him. Scanning the room he saw no movement, he couldn’t hear anything either. That was odd. He put down his journal and entered the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Stanley? Are you alright?” For the second time that day he was left with no response.</p><p> </p><p>He needed to stay calm rushing around would get him nowhere. Regardless his palms began to sweat and his throat tightened.</p><p> </p><p>A gust of wind brought him to his senses. Ford was sure he had closed all the windows; he didn’t need something to get in. Racing over he peered out and spotted his twin sitting near the rim of the Stan ‘O War II.</p><p> </p><p>Ford was so engrossed in his thoughts he didn’t notice that Stan has slipped out. Of course he wouldn’t have been keeping an ear out for his twin leaving the cabin; he trusted Stan would stay clear of the danger but he was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>Ford took deep calming breaths. Stan would be fine he just wasn’t inside, so bringing him in would make him even more safe. After quietly closing the window he slowly made his way outside; running out would only aggravate his brother. Nothing about any of this felt right, Stan didn’t need constant attention, he was loud and boisterous not at all meek when it came down to it. So what had changed other than his size of course?</p><p> </p><p>The bright sun glared down and into his eyes, blinding him.</p><p> </p><p>“Stanley what are you-” Blocking the sun with a six fingered hand he could finally see Stan or rather what was holding him.<br/><br/></p><p>A webbed fist was clutching his twin tightly, though Stan showed no signs of struggle despite the sharp claws. Looking at the creature Ford could see it somewhat resembled a human; obvious facial features, relatively long hair but the lower his gaze fell the more aquatic and barnacle encrusted it became. It’s torso ended and a tail began; deep navy scales reflecting the light.</p><p> </p><p>Before Ford could take action the creature shot him a wide predatory grin revealing large serrated teeth and dove beneath the waves.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oooo here we go finally something is happening!!</p><p>Like last chapter if anyone has any suggestions for me I would love to hear them. I will have to apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes because I am a bit of a goof. That’s it I have no other excuse. Send me your constructive criticism! I want to get better at writing so please tell me things you think I can improve on :)<br/>Please stay safe everyone! :D &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>